City to receive funds to help property owners

The City ofMilwaukee will receive $57,000 from Service LineWarranties of America (SLWA) to assist property owners in making repairs to broken or damaged sewer lines, according to Alderman Joe Davis, Sr.

Said Davis: The payment is being made in good faith as the city is “on the front lines” in its participation in a new, optional warranty protection program for sewer lines provided through the National League of Cities (NLC) Service LineWarranty Program.

Letters about the program are being mailed to City of Milwaukee homeowners.

“The generous $57,000 check is helpful and positive, as it means we will be able to use it to make some sizable repairs to sewer lines, without any use of taxpayer dollars,” the alderman said.

SLWA is offering the program as an affordable way to prevent the unexpected and large expenses associated with a sewer line break. Alderman Davis, who last year sponsored successful Common Council legislation bringing the program to Milwaukee, has said many property owners are not fully aware that they are responsible for the sewer lines that go from their home to the point of connection with the city-owned main sewer.

The cost for citizens who choose to purchase the warranty protection can either be $9.50 per month or for a full year at $100 ($8.33 per month), and will cover sewer line repairs up to $6,000 plus an additional allowance of $4,000 for public street cutting, if needed.